


Play pretend

by DanTheDanosaur



Series: McDanno [8]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:47:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28990920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanTheDanosaur/pseuds/DanTheDanosaur
Summary: “You are going to be so mad at me, and I’m sorry, okay? But this thing got out of control and I guess these are the consequences. My beautiful mother, whom I love very much, thinks you and I are a couple, as in the in-love kind of couple. The thing is, the idea of you and me together was the perfect balm for her nerves, so I thought it harmless if she believed it. But now she wants us there, at the wedding. And I can’t tell her no, believe me, I tried. So, that’s why I’m here, asking you to be my plus one and my pretend boyfriend for the weekend. Please, if you are going to punch me, just avoid the face, that’s all I ask.”Or the one where Steve has to play pretend and be Danny's fake boyfriend for a family wedding.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: McDanno [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1754107
Comments: 82
Kudos: 297





	1. Unwanted questions and unwanted consequences

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm back with more McDanno for you.
> 
> Please don't ask me when in the series this fanfic takes place, I honestly have no idea. I also pretty much wrote the Williams family as OCs, just a warning in case that bothers you. 
> 
> English in not my first language, and any mistakes you may find are my own. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. I appreciate all your comments and feedback :)

It was a fine Tuesday morning when live decided to slap Detective Danny Williams in the face.

Since the moment he woke up, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head, a familiar voice telling him that something bad was going to happen. He ignored it at first, blaming it on his few hours of sleep. It had been a difficult night, after all, wrapping the case and then staying at the office until late to finish the paperwork.

The voice in his head became louder when he stepped into his favorite coffee shop, only to find himself drenched in iced coffee. The poor girl who had crashed into him stuttered an apology, her big brown eyes scanning his ruined shirt. The girl squeaked when she spotter the badge, becoming even more nervous and visibly pale. Danny gritted his teeth, reining his anger and refraining from making a single sound. The girl looker scared enough of whatever face he was making. He held his hands up, silently begging the girl to stop apologizing, but she looked two seconds away from crying and Danny was two seconds away from a headache, so he took the safe option and walked out of the shop. Without his precious coffee. With his clothes ruined. At least, he was grateful that the girl had ordered iced coffee instead of a hot one. A morning in the hospital because of coffee burns, now that would have been tragic.

With a sigh, he walked to the Camaro and opened the trunk, looking for the spare clothes that he made a habit of keeping at hand. All he found was the duffle bag with Steve’s spare clothes, a pair of slacks and a plastic bag with a blood-stained shirt. _Shit_. He had forgotten to replace his back up shirt.

Danny rested his hands on the roof of the car, forcing himself to take deep breaths. No, he was in no way paying attention to the growing anxiety, and he was pointedly not thinking about all the possible ways in which his day could get any worse. He was trying really hard to convince himself that he was going to have a marvelous Tuesday, with no further tricks from the universe. He turned his eyes skywards, glaring at the perfectly clear Hawaiian sky in warning. _No more tricks_.

Of course, the universe was bent in half, laughing and getting his next surprise ready.

Danny’s nerves were jumpy on his drive to the Palace. The voice, now on the front seat of his brain, warning him to expect the worse. It was the same voice that had helped him solve many cases and saved his life on numerous occasions. It was what others called a gut feeling or instinct. Sometimes, it was just anxiety. And on days like the one he was having, life made it really hard to differentiate one from the other.

Just in case, he drove with extra care, on the look for careless drivers or any other abnormalities. Who knows, with his luck, this could be the day that he got abducted by an alien ship.

Chin, Lou, Kono and Steve were having a relaxed conversation around the smart table, not a sign of worry in their easy postures. When Danny saw them there, not a care in the world, enjoying the short periods of peace that came in between cases, he braced himself before crossing the glass doors, at the ready for whatever comments they were going to throw his way.

They were barely processing Danny’s mess of a shirt, Kono opening her mouth to speak, a mischievous glint in her eyes, when Danny held up a finger, hoping that would be enough to stop them from saying anything. “Don’t. Just don’t.”

“Did you forget how to drink your coffee?” Steve smirked at him, clearly amused with Danny’s appearance. “Or is this a new fashion trend?”

Danny breathed out a resigned sigh. Great, his partner was a five-year-old.

“Good thing we are cops, or someone might try to steal your jokes, Steven.” Danny rolled his eyes.

“Seriously, brah. What happened?” Chin gave him a sympathetic smile.

“A girl spilled her coffee all over me when I was trying to buy my own. And just in case you didn’t notice the lack of coffee cup in my hand, I have exactly zero caffeine in my system, which we can all agree is a big problem. And, just to make things better, thanks to our fearlessly stupid leader’s stunt two days ago, I used my spare clothes and forgot to replace them. So, we can conclude it has been a hellish morning so far.” Danny clapped his hands in front of him, as if he had just finished the briefing of a case instead of a synopsis of his morning. “Any more questions? Or can I drag myself and my shame to the safety of my office?”

“Was she flirting with you?” Steve asked, ignoring Danny’s complaints.

“Was she- What?”

“I asked if she was flirting with you. You know, after all, Rachel and you met when she rear ended you. Maybe it’s a thing.” Steve shrugged, like it was the only logical answer.

“Oh, yeah. I could tell by the embarrassment in her eyes that she fell in love with me at first sight.” Danny pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. “And no, it is _not_ a thing.”

“You gotta admit that would be a nice romantic story.” Kono added, wagging her eyebrows. Correction, he worked with a task force of five-year-olds.

“Sure, because there’s nothing more romantic than the cleaners’ bill.” Lou stared at Kono with one of his _you are all insane_ looks that under other circumstances wouldn’t fail to make Danny laugh.

“I’m just saying.” Kono defended. Danny waved them off, striding to his office and closing the door behind him.

Danny took advantage of the rare caseless day Five-0 was having and decided to update the list of supplies they needed. Kono, in an act of pity, had left a cup of steaming coffee on his desk a while ago. It was not as good as the one from his favorite shop, but it wasn’t as bad as the crap that they normally had at the office, so Danny was more than grateful for her little act of kindness.

He was making minor corrections to the ammunition list when his phone began to ring. He frowned, watching his mother’s smiling face in the screen.

“Hello?” Danny answered, unsure. Normally, his mother called on the weekends, and it was a weird thing for her to call him in the middle of a working day.

“Hi, sweetie. How is everything in that paradise of yours?” Her cheerful voice was a good sign, and Danny let go of some of his worry.

“I think the term purgatory is more appropriate to describe it.” Danny corrected; he couldn’t pass on any opportunity to complain (he refused to admit out loud that he liked said purgatory more than he let on). “And, to answer your question, it’s been a weird day, but everything’s fine. How’s everyone at home?”

“Missing you and the kids, as always. I showed the pictures you sent me to your Pop, he wants to print them and hang them in the living room.”

Danny smiled, remembering the pictures. He sent a few of Grace and Charlie at the beach, but he also sent one of Steve, Grace and Charlie sleeping on the couch at Steve’s house. The urge to take a picture had been impossible to resist when his three favorite people in the universe had fallen asleep in the middle of watching The Incredibles, Grace and Charlie perfectly safe with Steve’s arms around them. Danny’s chest got warm with the idea of that particular picture hanging in his parent’s home, for everyone to see. It was going to be his indirect way of showing off, of flaunting his own little family.

“I bet they’ll look lovely.” Danny knew his Ma could hear the smile in his voice, but he really didn’t care.

“Oh, they will. But next time send one with your handsome face, huh. Preferably with Steve. I want more of the two of you together.”

Danny cleared his throat, once again reminded of the not so little lie that he had been feeding his family. “Sure, I will.”

“Good, good. I also wanted to talk to you about something.” Clara’s tone had changed to that one she used when she was planning something, something that she knew Danny wasn’t going to like.

“I’m all ears.”

“Remember that time you told me that the governor owes you vacation days?”

“Yes?” There it was again, that bad feeling that had been stalking him all day.

“Well, it’s time for you to take’em.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Your cousin Sarah is getting married next week, you know? She said she sent you the invite, but maybe it got lost in the mail.”

“Ma-”

“I promised her you would be there, Daniel. I know you can’t bring the kids because of school, but you _need_ to be here. And I also promised the whole family that we would be finally meeting your precious boyfriend, so you need to bring Steve. I will take no excuses, you hear me? I want both of you here.”

Danny’s heart was trying to run away from his chest, his mouth going dry. “Ma, Steve and I can’t just drop everything and go to Jersey for Sophie’s wedding.”

“Yes, you can. You told me yourself, the task force is doing good, and you have an excellent team. I think they can manage without you for a few days.”

“No, no. We can’t-”

“Daniel Williams listen to your mother. I don’t care what you have to do, but I want you, both of you, here. And don’t dream about skipping the family dinners, no sir. You are staying for the whole thing. Are we clear? Don’t make me fly all the way to Hawaii just to get you, you know I will.” Whenever Clara talked like that, Danny reverted to being a kid again, incapable of talking back. Everyone in the family knew that, whenever she got this stubborn, there was no possible way of telling her no.

“Okay Ma. I’ll- We’ll be there.” Danny covered his face with the hand that wasn’t holding his phone. He was painfully aware of the sweat running down his spine and sticking his already dirty shirt to his skin.

“Good to hear, sweetie. Love you.” Just like that, Clara was back to being the loving mother, unaware of the storm that her request would bring to Danny’s already chaotic life.

“Love you too.”

When the call ended, Danny was left in the silence of his office, alone with his thoughts. He tried to think of all the things he had to do. Book a flight, talk to the governor and ask for a few days, pack, make arrangements with Rachel about the kids. Those things were easy, sure. But the hardest, the one he was dreading the most was going to be Steve. What was he going to do about Steve?

_Hey, buddy. My family thinks you and I are a couple. Crazy, right?_

It all began with a harmless mistake that snowballed into a big lie. Since he had moved to Hawaii, his mother had made it her life mission to make sure Danny was happily paired. Every time she called, she started the conversation with a “Are you dating someone?” in a tone full of motherly concern. And every time Danny told her no, she grew more and more insistent. It was no coincidence that the dating topic was less frequent after Danny joined Five-0 and his complaints about one Steve McGarrett became a daily thing. Somehow, Clara had assumed that Danny and Steve were more than just work partners, and the way Danny described their movie nights and the hanging out with the kids didn’t help to prove her wrong. When Danny caught up with his Ma’s conclusions, he promptly corrected her, but his efforts were received with disbelief and a “Don’t you lie to me.” Problem was, in the end, he stopped protesting. Danny told himself that he kept the lie going to avoid the questions about his love life – or the lack of one – but in truth, that lie represented everything he wanted. He _wanted_ a relationship with Steve beyond friendship or work, and he couldn’t bring himself to break his and his Ma’s heart with the admission that such a dream wasn’t possible. But of course, Clara had gone and told the whole Williams clan that his beloved son was the boyfriend of a handsome Navy SEAL, and now everyone was dying to meet him.

It became impossible to focus on the inventory. Danny gave up on the idea of doing more work and began with his phone calls for the trip. By the end of the day all he wanted was to go home, dig a hole in the garden and crawl inside to wait for his death. But he couldn’t do that, no. He needed to face Steve and tell him about this big mess he had created.

Of course, Steve noticed something was wrong with Danny the moment he stepped out of his office in search for another cup of coffee, even if it was the crappy one. Without missing a beat, Steve stole the keys of the Camaro from Danny’s pocket and announced to the team that they were going together for lunch.

That left a very anxious Danny and a worried Steve alone in the car.

“What’s wrong, buddy?” Steve finally asked, throwing a concerned glance in Danny’s direction.

“I need a favor.” Danny said matter-of-factly, trying to keep his nerves under control.

“Sure. Whatever you need, you know it.”

Danny took a deep breath, holding his hands on his lap to keep them from shaking. “I need you to be my plus one at my cousin’s wedding. It’s- It’s this weekend, and we do a big thing with dinners and reunions and- yeah. So, this weekend. In Jersey, that is. The weeding, I mean.”

“Huh, sure. Sounds nice. I will go with you.” Danny could read the confusion written all over Steve’s face.

“Cool. Thanks.”

Silence. Danny knew he had to say the rest, to admit that there was a catch, but he was almost as nervous as that one time he had broken his Pop’s favorite vinyl, and he had to confess his crime before he found out.

“Something else?” Steve’s tone was careful, suspicious.

“Yes, actually. God, I hate my life.” Danny rubbed a hand over his face. It was like ripping a band-aid. A big ugly band-aid stuck to his skin with superglue. “You are going to be so mad at me, and I’m sorry, okay? But this thing got out of control and I guess these are the consequences. My beautiful mother, whom I love very much, thinks you and I are a couple, as in the in-love kind of couple. The thing is, the idea of you and me together was the perfect balm for her nerves, so I thought it harmless if she believed it. But now she wants us there, at the wedding. And I can’t tell her no, believe me, I tried. So, that’s why I’m here, asking you to be my plus one and my pretend boyfriend for the weekend. Please, if you are going to punch me, just avoid the face, that’s all I ask.” 

Silence fell again, and slowly but surely, Steve’s eyes darkened in anger.

“How long?”

And there it was, the question that Danny had been dreading the most.

“Huh?”

“How long, Daniel?” Danny flinched under the Commander tone that Steve rarely used with Danny.

“Two years.” Danny mumbled, eyes glued to his shoes.

“You are telling me that your family believes that you and I have been a couple for two years? Two years, Danny. How could you do that?”

“I know. I’m sorry. Forget the wedding, I will tell my Ma-”

“They must think I’m a terrible boyfriend!”

“What?”

“You realize how bad you made me look? How can I face your mother when she thinks I’m an asshole?” It appeared that Steve was genuinely offended.

“Is that why you are upset? Really?”

“Seriously, Danny. What kind of boyfriend goes two years without so much as meeting the family?”

“It happens, okay? It’s not that weird.” Danny tried to defuse the situation because really, of all the outcomes he imagined, this was not one of them.

“I bet it does, but we are talking about your family, Danny. Meeting them, officially meeting them as your partner would be an important step in our relationship.”

Danny’s heart jumped in something that resembled hope at the _our relationship_ part, but he forced himself to ignore it. He had bigger problems on his plate, thank you. “Easy, babe. I didn’t think that that detail of this whole situation would bother you this much. Don’t worry, okay? They don’t think badly of you. Whenever Ma or my sisters asked about meeting you, I always told them you were saving the world or busy with reserve drills and other Navy stuff that I don’t understand.”

Danny dared a glance, and Steve didn’t look reassured in the least.

“Look, they will most likely blame me for not meeting you sooner. I- I kind of told them I didn’t want to share you.” Danny mumbled his confession, and he could feel an embarrassing heat taking over his face and neck.

Steve’s shoulders lost their tension, his hold on the wheel less threatening. The embarrassment was worth it if it meant that he could ease Steve’s worried expression.

“And they accepted that excuse?” The corner of Steve’s mouth quirked up.

“I’m not saying they liked it. I’m saying they didn’t question much me being a selfish idiot, which actually offends me. I’m a generous person.”

Steve’s laugh fell over Danny like a warm blanket. Danny allowed the relief to set over him. Steve wasn’t upset, he wasn’t kicking his ass all the way to the Mainland. He was, to his great surprise, laughing.

“I’m sure you’ll get over it. Besides, once they know me, they will understand why you couldn’t resist the idea of keeping me all to yourself.” Steve teased, the McGarrett patented smile in place.

Danny sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “As if you weren’t insufferable enough.”

“So, when are we leaving, Danny?” Steve looked at him, his hazel eyes bright and happy, and Danny couldn’t hide his smile any longer.


	2. Welcome to the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of Steve and emotions in this one. Enjoy.

Over the flight, Danny had made sure to give Steve a brief explanation of how the Williams dealt with special family events. When there was something like a wedding, it wasn’t just _a wedding_. It was a chance to spend as much time as possible with those family members who lived far away from the rest of the family. Which meant that Steve and Danny weren’t flying to Jersey just to attend Sarah’s wedding, they were expected to go through the whole experience of the family reunion.

“Sure you can handle it, Commander?” Danny hid his worries under a smirk, knowing that Steve would take it as a challenge.

“I survived BUD/S, Danny.” Steve scoffed, naïve of what was waiting for them.

“Yes, but this is the Williams boot camp.” Danny added with a wicked grin.

Steve’s eyes widened, as if he was finally realizing what that meant. Danny laughed, patting Steve on the shoulder and giving him a too-late-to-scape smile that could make a Bond villain proud.

“The things I do for you, Danno.” Steve grumbled, sliding down his seat in defeat.

“I’m thankful, don’t think I’m not. But you, my friend, will be blessed with my Ma’s homemade food and with the glorious sights of Jersey. In a way, I’m making you a favor.” Danny nudged Steve on his side, delighted with the glare he got in response.

“Clara’s food will make everything worth it, I’m sure. But the _glorious_ sights of Jersey? What’s glorious about smog?”

“I will throw you out of this plane, Steven. No, no, forget it. You would enjoy that, wouldn’t you? With you being an adrenaline junkie and all. I’ll let you know Jersey is a perfect place for vacations, okay? You will be crying on our way back home, begging me to let you stay.” Danny held his hand up, palm down, miming the airplane in midair.

“Home? Did you just call Hawaii home?” Steve’s smug smile and raised eyebrows always gave Danny the desire to punch and kiss him at the same time.

“No, I didn’t. The altitude is doing weird things to your hearing.” Danny crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to admit that it hadn’t been the first time that he had thought of Hawaii as home.

“My hearing is perfectly fine, thank you. And I know what you said.”

“It must’ve been a glitch in the Matrix.” Danny waved a hand in the air, dismissing Steve’s delusions and pointedly not looking at Steve’s self-satisfied smile.

“You were right Danny. All this smog is beautiful.” Steve mocked, his eyes scanning the surrounding streets from behind the wheel of their rental car. Danny hadn’t fooled himself into believing that he would be allowed to drive, not while mister control freak McGarrett was around. Danny’s only job was to give directions and, as always, to provide the usual banter.

“And nothing spells paradise like ridiculous traffic.” Steve sighed, stopping at their second consecutive red light. Danny knew that Steve had a point, it was taking them longer than he had expected to get to the hotel. Of course, he was never going to admit that out loud.

“Jersey is not the problem here, my friend, but your chronic aberration to all things civilized.”

“Chronic aberration?” Steve mouthed in disbelief.

“If we were in the middle of the jungle, or in the desert, now that would make you happy. It would be like Christmas morning for you. Take the next left turn, babe. But when you are presented with a glorious city, with concrete and sidewalks and even the legendary skyscrapers, you don’t appreciate it.”

“I appreciate it. I just don’t see how you still think this is better than Hawaii, Danno.”

“First of all,” Danny began numerating each point with his fingers.

“Oh god, please not again.” Steve sighed.

“First of all, Steven. Here I don’t sweat like my Ma’s turkey in the oven every time I step outside.”

“I think it has more to do with your poor choices in clothing.”

“Like I said, aberration to all things civilized. It’s called being professional, okay? And what are you doing? Keep straight ahead, jeez.” Danny pointed his arms in front of his body, chopping the air with up and down gestures.

“I’m sorry, but my GPS is busy complaining instead of telling me where to go.” Steve said dryly.

“It’s common sense, Steven. If I don’t tell you to turn or change lanes, you keep straight ahead. That’s how it works.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Second of all, finding sand on my underwear at the end of the day is not fun. Most of the time I don’t even know how it got there, it’s bizarre. How does it keep happening, huh?”

“ _Most_ of the time? I don’t want to hear the intimate details of what you do in the beach, Danny. You like what you like, no shame in that, buddy. Just don’t tell me about it.” Steve gave Danny a condescending pat on the knee.

“Just so you know, you are still not funny.” Danny rolled his eyes.

“Your parents will love me. They will laugh at each one of my jokes, I guarantee that.” Steve nodded, sure of himself.

“They will laugh in sympathy.” Danny chuckled, knowing full well that, indeed, his parents would immediately love Steve. “The hotel should be just to the right, now.”

After checking in, they headed to their room to change into something more comfortable for their dinner at the Williams’. The room was large enough to fit the two comfortable queen-sized beds and have a nice balcony with two chairs and a coffee table. In a silent agreement that came with years of knowing each other, Steve took the bed closest to the bathroom while Danny took the one next to the balcony.

Normally, Danny would have stayed at his parents house, in his old room. Only this time Danny wasn’t alone, and even if Steve seemed more okay than expected with the whole pretend-to-be-your-boyfriend thing, Danny wasn’t going to risk making his partner uncomfortable by forcing him to sleep in the same bed as Danny. The same bed that had witnessed all those hot make out sessions with that one girl from his chemistry class, also the same bed that had creaked under his weight when he and Robert had their first time together. So, yeah, having Steve McGarrett sleeping beside him in that same bed was a dangerous thing, no matter how appealing the idea seemed to Danny’s horny and enamored brain.

With everything settled, they headed out again to buy a sixpack of beers before driving to the Williams’ place. It was a weird phenomenon, to look at a nervous fidgety Steve. Danny could see the way Steve kept switching the bag with the beers from one hand to the other, his body vibrating with energy while they stood outside the house.

“They are not cannibals, babe. There are no terrorists waiting for you on the other side of the door.” Danny rested a hand on Steve’s shoulder, feeling the tense muscles jump under his palm. It was almost unbelievable, that the same man who didn’t flinch in the face of gun armed criminals was two seconds away from swimming all the way back to Hawaii, just to avoid meeting the parents of his boyfriend. His _fake_ boyfriend. Apparently, it was easier to look dead straight in the eyes than deal with the unknown of social interactions. No wonder Danny never heard of any meeting with Catherine’s parents during all those years of ‘She is not my girlfriend, Danno’.

At the same time, it warmed Danny’s heart that Steve was willing to go through something that clearly put him out of his comfort zone just to help Danny. Sure, they had saved each other’s lives on countless times. The ‘I would risk my life for you’ was, somehow, part of the deal when you were someone’s partner. It was expected, part of the contract and the camaraderie that was born from fighting back to back with your partner. Steve was used to getting himself into the most dangerous of missions just to help the ones he loved. But this, stepping into uneven ground, doing something that pushed him into a scary situation that he couldn’t shoot his way out of, it meant the word to Danny. Once more, it proved that Steve cared and loved more than anyone could think at first glance, even if that got him hurt more than once.

“Steve, they will love you.” _Just as much as I do._ Danny smiled at him, pressing his fingers on the muscle to force him to relax. Steve took a deep breath and dropped his shoulders, answering Danny’s smile with one of his own. With a final nod of confirmation, Danny took out his key and opened the door.

“Finally, my little tornado is home!” Clara stood, dropping the newspaper and her pen on the couch, leaving the crossword she had been working on half done to prioritize enveloping his son in a squeeze-the-life-out-of-you hug.

“Hey, Ma.” Danny could barely breathe, but he gave as good as he was getting, closing his eyes. Clara’s hair smelled like her favorite citric perfume, the one that she always made sure to have an extra bottle. It was a smell that Danny always associated with safety, comfort, and love.

“Oh, baby. Look at you. I’ve missed this face.” Clara pulled back, taking Danny’s face in her hands and running her fingers over his hair. “I swear, with every time I see you, you increase the amount of hair product you use. Honey, but you look so handsome when you let your hair loose. Such a waste.”

“Hey, it’s part of the style.” Danny shook his head, escaping his mother’s attempts of messing with his perfect hairstyle.

“Always a rebel, ain’t ya?” Clara chuckled, turning to face Steve.

Steve had a goofy smile on his face, the show of affection between Danny and his mother distracting him from his previous nerves.

“Steve! So nice to finally see you, child.” Clara beamed, clearly pleased with Steve’s soft expression.

“The feeling is mutual.” Steve held his hand out. Clara scowled at the offered hand, almost offended with the idea of a formal handshake.

“Don’t insult me. That’s nonsense, come here.” Clara got on her tippy-toes and dragged Steve down to her level to get her arms around his shoulders in a similar hug than the one she had just given Danny.

The sudden act of intimacy caught Steve by surprise, but it only took him a moment to readjust himself and return the hug. Clara was patting Steve’s back and murmuring something into Steve’s ear, and whatever it was, Steve’s body went from his usual martial stiffness to something light and soft. It was like watching the Navy SEAL turn into a child and welcome the protection that those motherly arms offered. Danny’s stomach made funny things, and he had to look away before he got overwhelmed with emotions.

He left them to their private moment and walked to the kitchen, finding his father whistling and dipping his finger in the pot that was cooling on the counter. It was a scene that he had encountered many times since he was a child, and he himself had sneaked a taste on many occasions.

“Some things never change.” Danny sighed, peeking over his Pop’s shoulder to get a good look at the tomato sauce.

“Christ!” Eddie jumped out of the way, resting a hand over his chest and looking Danny up and down with a frown. “You scared the hell out of me, kiddo.”

“Sorry, the temptation was too big.” Danny reached over and sank his finger in the pot. The sauce was still warm, his brain drowning in endorphins with the extra spice that her mother always added to her mix. It was a thing of beauty, and Danny almost cried with happiness. No matter how much he tried to replicate the recipe, even with the exact instructions and measurements in front of him, it never tasted the same.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Eddie smiled with pride, opening his arms to welcome Danny in a hug.

“It always is.”

Dinner had gone smoothly. Steve and Eddie bonded over stories of the dangers of their jobs, with Steve being fascinated with tales of fires and emergency rescues. Eddie was happy to have such a willing listener, a big bright smile on his face. Bridget arrived before dessert with her daughter Sophie, both of them greeting Steve like an old friend. After the mandatory hug, she looked at Steve with a sympathetic smile.

“Why, Steve?” Bridgett asked with a dramatic sigh.

“Why what?” Steve arched an eyebrow, confused with the question.

“Why would you do this to yourself? You can do so much better.” Bridget grimaced at Danny, encompassing his body with a gesture of her hand.

“Hey, watch it.” Danny warned, glaring at his sister.

Steve tilted his head to one side, making a show of examining Danny as if he had never laid eyes on the man before that very moment.

“I honestly don’t know. Danny says I’m crazy, and maybe he is right, after all.” 

“You watch it, too.” Danny elbowed Steve not all too kindly. “Yes, you are crazy. And having me in your life is one of the few sane things you have ever done, and we all know it.”

Bridget shook her head, patting Steve’s arm.

“Seriously. Why?” She asked again, breaking character with a mischievous smirk.

The rest of the evening Bridget did what she knew best, annoy Danny and tell embarrassing stories of Danny’s teenage years that made Steve laugh until his belly hurt. Things escalated when she went looking for the old family album, Bridget more than delighted with the opportunity to further mortify her brother.

“You were a punk? With a mohawk?” Steve slapped his knee before taking out his phone and snapping a few pictures.

“I swear to god, Steven. Don’t you dare send those.” Danny pointed a finger at his partner.

“Don’t worry.” Steve giggled and left the phone on the table, ready in case he needed to take more pictures.

“Oh, and there’s more of those on the wall.” Bridget wiggled her eyebrows, content with the blush that was taking over Danny’s face.

“Don’t.” Danny hid his face behind his hands. That, of course, only encouraged Bridget and feed Steve’s curiosity.

“Yes, Steve. Come on, I’ll show you. Ma and Pop hang the best pictures in the living room.”

Danny groaned, not even looking when he felt Steve standing up and following his sister. Danny heard chuckles, and he guessed that Bridgett was playing the part of the guide in the Williams Museum, most likely exaggerating all the stories that had to do with Danny. He snapped to attention when the chuckles and loud comments stopped all of a sudden, unexpected silence taking its place.

“Where’s Steve?” Danny was alarmed when Bridgett returned to the dinning room alone.

“He is looking at the pictures, Danny.” She answered with a fond smile, one that had nothing to do with the previous mirth she had minutes ago.

He gasped, finally understanding what Steve was looking at. He had been mortified with the idea of his partner looking at all those embarrassing and cheesy family moments, but it hadn’t downed on him that there were new pictures there, all the ones he had selected and sent to his parents since he had moved.

Danny swallowed past the lump in his throat, eyeing his parents and his sister. They were staring at him with a knowing look. Clara nodded, silently indicating him that he should go as well.

He found Steve silently admiring the most resent picture, the one with him on the couch with the kids. But that wasn't the only picture with Steve, no. There were a couple with him and Danny, drinking a beer at Steve’s or at the beach after riding a few waves. There was even a few with all the team, having a good time at Kamekona’s.

When Danny got closer, he could see a telling sheen in Steve’s hazel eyes. Danny cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around Steve’s waist, taking a moment to admire each reminder of their time together.

“This one was from the first time you surfed with Gracie.” Steve lifted an arm and surrounded Danny’s shoulders, holding him closer. He was looking at one of the first pictures Danny had sent to his Ma, taken on the first months he had been working with Five-0. It was a nice memory, Danny finally getting past his fear of the ocean to have a nice time in the water with his eager daughter and his newly found friends.

“I was terrified.” Danny chuckled. “Thank god Kono and you were there with us.”

“It was worth it, wasn’t it? Grace was all smiles all afternoon.”

“It was, babe. It really was.”

Steve didn’t say anything more, not even asking about how the pictures had ended up there, among those of Danny’s family. Maybe he already knew the answer, and maybe Danny’s warm presence by his side was enough explanation.

When they got back to the hotel Danny was the first to take a shower. While Steve took his turn in the shower Danny settled in his bed, letting the muffled sounds of the water hitting the tile relax him. It had something magical, listening to others do mundane things. The first months after the divorce, that had been one of the things he had missed the most, the domestic sounds of someone washing their hands or making coffee. Those were sounds that told him he wasn’t alone, that even if he couldn’t see whoever was making the noise, they were still there. It was comforting.

After a few minutes (Danny knew that Steve took longer than three minutes to shower, but he was a gentleman and refrained from pointing it out) the water stopped, and the bathroom door was pushed open. There stood Steve, with a towel around his waist and a toothbrush in his hand. His face was hidden in the darkness, the only illumination in the room coming from the bathroom light that was hitting Steve’s back. Danny turned to face his partner, and even if he couldn’t read his face in the shadows, he could tell by his stance that he was preparing to say something.

“When your mother hugged me, she-” Steve cleared his throat, “she said to me-”

“You don’t need to tell me.” Danny hurried to intervene, not wanting Steve to feel like he had an obligation to explain what had happened.

“I know. I _want_ to tell you.” Steve talked in whispers, barely audible in the quiet of the room.

“I’m listening, babe.” Danny rested his head on the pillow, keeping his voice down and careful.

“She thanked me, Danny. Didn’t say why. Just thanked me.” Steve looked down, fumbling with the toothbrush he was still holding.

Danny had an idea of what that ‘thank you’ had been about. After all, Danny had told Clara not only about the many times that Steve had saved his life on the field, but she also knew about how Steve had saved him from his own loneliness. It was the ‘thank you’ of a mother who knows that his kid was happy and loved, his never-ending worries about Danny’s pessimistic tendencies put to rest, now that Danny had Steve to look after him.

Danny knew there had been more, Clara had said other things to the man in front of him. He wasn’t going to push, he was thankful enough that Steve had shared that part of the moment he had shared with his mother. Danny also knew that Steve was looking for an answer as to what he had been thanked for, it was written all over his body language, how confused and intrigued he was with this new mystery.

“She meant it. You deserve to be thanked for many things. Don’t question it and don’t fight it, okay?” Danny answered with confidence.

Steve nodded, looking even more confused for a second. Danny thought he was going to argue, unsatisfied with Danny’s vague answer.

“Okay.” Was all Steve said before facing the sink to brush his teeth.

Danny closed his eyes, allowing the sounds around him to lull him into peaceful sleep.


	3. 3.	Shovel talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and love so far.

The next day was more chaotic. Sarah and her fiancé, Mitch, arrived at the house. Apparently, Eddie was into his latest remodeling project and Mitch had offered to help, so he had his tools ready and his work clothes at hand. After the mandatory congratulations and the typical questions about weddings, Eddie and Mitch headed to the backyard. They were all listening to Sarah talk about the band she had hired for the wedding when a loud clang came from the backyard. Clara, Steve and Danny hurried outside, to check if everyone was all right.

“What happened?” Clara inspected the ladder, the culprit of the noise, laying on the ground.

“Something is not working with the light system we got installed last week. I tried to reach some cables at the roof, but the ladder is way too unstable for only one person to hold it.” Eddie explained, swiping the sweat that was running down his forehead.

“I can help. I know how to fix it.” Steve said, full of confidence.

“Are you sure, darling?” Clara asked with uncertainty.

“Steve, we can wait and call a professional. There's no need for you to break your neck.” Danny tried to reason, but Steve already had that glint in his eyes that told him there was no way Steve was stepping back.

“I can climb up and fix it. I’ll be fine.” Steve smiled to reassure Danny and his mother, but neither of them looked convinced.

“Fine? Sure, cause climbing to the rusty roof in a crumbling ladder is perfectly safe. Of course. When you are done with that, maybe you can go and tickle a gorilla, huh? I bet that’s perfectly safe too.” Danny rambled, waving around with his hands.

“Tickle a gorilla? Danny, how does your brain come up with things like that? Seriously, man.” Steve smiled with amusement.

“Don’t worry, Mitch and I will hold the ladder steady for him.” Eddie promised. “You go and do something else. Stop pestering Steve.”

“Pestering? Excuse me for being concerned.” Danny gaped, surprised with finding himself betrayed by his own father.

“Then go and be concerned somewhere else.” Eddie smiled, pushing Danny and Clara into the house.

While Steve was busy doing his acrobatics on the roof, Danny joined Sarah and Bridget on the couch. They were watching a makeover show, and normally, Danny wasn’t a big fan of those, but this one seemed different. It had a certain charm that convinced him to stay and watch instead of finding something else to do around the house. Besides, the cooking segments of the show were quite interesting.

By the end of the episode, they were sniffling.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be wholesome? They have no business making us cry like this.” Bridget argued, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

“God, I wish they could come and do the makeover thing for my wedding.” Sarah sighed.

“Specially the fashion dude. I like him. And I like his hair.” Danny nodded. He recognized a good pompadour when he saw one.

“What is going on here? Are you okay?” The three of them turned to face Steve. He scanned their red rimmed eyes with worry and then glanced at the TV, trying to figure out what got them emotional in the middle of a cheerful day.

Danny took in Steve’s appearance. He looked handsome, as always. His flannel was perfectly tucked inside his jeans, the dirt on his knees the only reminder that he had been working on the roof instead of stepping out of a magazine. Bridget cleared her throat to get Danny’s attention, and then she tilted her head at Steve, pointedly looking at his shirt.

“Oh. Good idea.” Sarah smiled, understanding the silent conversation that had passed through the siblings.

Danny smiled and stood up, crooking a finger and gesturing at Steve to get closer.

“What? You are creeping me out.” Steve arched an eyebrow, but he still did what he was expected to do and stood in front of Danny.

“Up, up.” Danny patted Steve’s arms, and he lifted them with a frown. With no further obstruction, Danny reached around Steve’s waist and untucked his shirt from behind, brushing his fingers over the waistband on his way to the front. Steve’s shudder sent a spark of arousal over his body, and when he looked up he saw that Steve’s eyes were dark with something that Danny didn’t dare to name, not now, when his sister and cousin were watching. He swallowed and returned his focus to his work, leaving only the front part of the shirt tucked, but not as tight as it had been. When he was done, he let his palm rest over Steve’s abdomen, enjoying the involuntary flex of the muscles under his touch.

“All done.” Danny smiled and reluctantly dropped his hand to take a step back and admire his work.

Bridget whistled behind him. “Yep, it looks good.”

“What did you do?” Steve looked down at his body, not understanding what all the fuss was about.

“French tuck, babe. It’s fashionable.” Danny informed him, proud of the knowledge he had acquired in the last fifty minutes.

“It looks messy. And unpractical.” Steve wrinkled his nose.

“ _Fashion_.” Danny stressed out, as if that was enough argument.

Steve sighed with fond exasperation before heading to the kitchen for a glass of water. Danny followed him, leaving the girls with the next episode.

“How was the roof?” Danny asked, impressed with the way Steve swallowed a full glass without even blinking.

“It was more complicated than what I imagined, but I managed. It’s fixed.”

“Hold up.” Danny held his hands up, his palms facing Steve. “More complicated than you _imagined_? You said you knew how to fix it.”

“I had a good idea on how to fix it.” Steve didn’t meet Danny’s eyes while he left the glass in the sink.

“You Neanderthal animal.” Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, Steve’s need to be useful had been stronger than his common sense. “You have nothing to prove, you know that, right? It doesn’t matter to them if you can or not fix a damn light system.”

“I know.” Steve stared at his shoes.

“Then stop risking yourself for stupid reasons.” Danny scolded without any real anger. “I mean, thanks for helping around, I do appreciate it. Just next time maybe wash the dishes or do something that keeps your feet on the ground.”

Steve chuckled, lifting his gaze to look Danny in the eyes. “You got it.”

“Thanks.”

A loud chorus of happy cheers prompted them out of the kitchen to investigate. Clara, Bridget and Sarah were gathered around two people. Danny got a glance of familiar dark hair and strong eyes that could only belong to Stella. Steve and him got closer, ready to join the group in their hugs and greetings, but they froze in place. The person next to Stella spotted them and squinted at them with accusatory eyes.

“Danny.” Steve mumbled, tugging at Danny’s arm.

“I didn’t know he was going to be here, I swear.”

“Shit.” Steve cursed under his breath, forcing a smile when Stella was free to walk over to them with a weary Eric at her tail.

“Hello, boys.” Stella smiled, hugging Steve and Danny at the same time. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise.” Steve answered.

“I’ll go and say hi to Pop and Mitch. But don’t get me wrong, we are going to have a nice chat later, just the three of us.” Stella winked at Steve, pinched Danny’s cheek and made her way to the backyard, where Eddie and Mitch were busy doing whatever, Danny didn’t care.

“Eric.” Danny greeted his nephew, not completely able to keep the tension out of his voice.

“Uncle D.” Eric eyed him suspiciously before drifting his eyes to Steve. “And, apparently, _Uncle S._ ” Eric stretched the sound of the S.

Danny and Steve exchanged a look, doing what they did on the field, making emergency plans with something that could resemble telepathy. Steve nodded and Danny didn’t need a second signal.

“A word with you, please.” Danny took Eric by the arm, Steve holding him by the other.

“Where are you going?” Clara inquired, hands on her hips. That woman could smell when one of her children was up to no good, and Danny tried to act as casual as possible as they dragged Eric to the study.

“We need to talk about something.” Danny told her over his shoulder.

“Eric just arrived, and you are already bothering him about work.” She huffed, watching them go.

“Yes, yes. Work. A work thing. Nothing serious.” Danny shoved Steve and Eric inside the study, closing the door behind them and letting go of the breath he had been holding.

Danny tried to guess what was going to be the price to pay for Eric’s silence. If he wanted to keep this _fake_ boyfriend thing going, he needed to find a way to convince his nephew to keep quiet. Maybe by offering to help with his paperwork, or get him that videogame he had been winning about.

“Listen, we can explain this.” Danny began, running a nervous hand over his face to try and clear his ideas.

“I’m trying really hard not to feel offended, here.” Eric faced them, crossing his arms over his chest. Danny didn’t know how to interpret that, and it only made him more nervous.

“Offended?” Steve asked, looking as surprised as Danny was with Eric’s reaction.

“I’m not some bigot, okay? I know I sometimes act like an idiot, but I’m not an intolerant asshole.” Eric told them, frowning with frustration. “If you were a couple you could have told me. Do you think so poorly of me?”

“I- We don’t. Shit.” Danny cleared his throat, feeling lost in the conversation.

“We know you are not a bigot, Eric.” Steve assured him with an even voice, the one Danny knew he only used when he was internally panicking.

“Then why? Do you hate me?” Eric continued, sounding hurt, but even under the veil of his growing anxiety, Danny saw the twitch in his nephew’s lips.

“You jerk.” Danny snapped, smacking Eric on the back of the head. “You almost gave me a heart attack. I thought you were going to cry.”

Eric laughed, looking really proud of his little act. “I got you good.”

“Danny, remind me to make a few calls when we get back.” Steve gave Eric his best _you-are-so-fucked_ smile, and Eric’s fit of laughter turned into coughing.

“I’ll help you make them, babe.” Danny matched the smile.

“Okay, okay. I wanna keep my job, please.” Eric begged.

“Now tell us. How did you know?” Danny asked, pinning Eric with a menacing look.

“What? That all the ‘my son is dating a Navy SEAL’ thing your Mom tells everyone is a lie?” Eric had a smug smile that gave Danny the urge to smack him again.

“Yes, you schmuck. That.”

“Because if it were true, I would have heard it from Kono, not Clara.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Steve glared, demanding an answer.

“She is the one in charge of the pool.” Eric rolled his eyes, annoyed, like if what he was saying was information that they should already know.

“There’s a pool. Dear god.” Danny pressed the heels of his hand over his eyes. The situation was too ridiculous to be real. He refused to accept it was happening.

“I think you weren’t supposed to know. Damn it.” Eric scratched his neck.

“I don’t want to know, okay. I really don’t.” Danny sighed. “All that maters now is, do you feel any urge to go out there and tell everyone about the _not a couple_ situation?”

“I don’t know, Uncle D. I feel bad about lying and-”

“I’ll buy you that videogame you want.”

“Deal.”

As Stella promised, when the afternoon fell, she dragged Danny and Steve all the way to a discrete but comfortable restaurant not that far from their hotel. They took a table at the corner and ordered their food and some whine. The atmosphere was light, the chatter flowing with ease. The waitress was taking away the empty plates when Stella changed her posture, her eyes getting serious.

“Don’t think that the fact that you are a SEAL will spare you from the shovel talk, Commander.” Stella leaned back on her chair, taking a careful sip of wine. Without having to look, Danny felt how Steve’s body straightened up, squaring his shoulders to full attention. “I work at customer service; I have lost all my fears there. I’m unbreakable. Dealing with a Navy SEAL is nothing.” Stella chuckled at her own joke, but her stare remained solemn, pinning Steve in place.

“Stella-” Danny grumbled in warning, glaring at his sister.

“We both know that our sweet Danny wears his heart on his sleeve. I have watched him get hurt countless times because of that dumb big heart of his.” Stella kept talking, ignoring Danny’s murderous glare and never averting her eyes from Steve. “He is a big idiot that doesn’t know when to stop giving. No, he gives himself completely when he loves, even if it breaks him, and that scares me – scares all of us, his family – to death. Like I said, he is an idiot, but he is my _idiot_ baby brother. So, let it be clear that if you break Danny’s heart, there will be consequences, do I make myself clear? He deserves happiness and love more than anyone I know, and I expect you to give him both. I _demand_ you give yourself to Danny in the same way that I know for a fact he gives himself to you.”

“I promise.” Danny’ breath hitched at the seriousness with which Steve said those two words. It felt way too real. Steve looked like a man who was swearing his soul to the man beside him, beyond any pretense or game. It wasn’t part of their scheme, no. It was a legitimate promise.

“Good.” Stella searched Steve’s face in silence, and when she found whatever she was looking for, she finally smiled, the warmth returning to her expression. “Don’t be fooled, these are not empty threats. I have my ways, Steve. Just ask Rachel.” And Danny wasn’t sure he imagined the shiver that ran down Steve’s body.

Back at the hotel room, they settled at the balcony overlooking the city, beers in hand and their chairs close enough to have their knees bump against each other.

“I have to ask. What did your sister do to Rachel?”

“Oh, it wasn’t just my sister, babe. It was a family plot.”

“Is your family with the mob?”

Danny shook his head, having fun with Steve’s curiosity.

“No. But a part of me believes that Rachel would rather deal with the mob than with the Williams clan.”

“Don’t leave me hanging, man. Spit.” Steve turned slightly on his chair, angling his body towards Danny.

“It’s the little things, Steve. It’s the little things that make someone’s life difficult.” Danny held a finer up to emphasize his wisdom. “By the time Rachel decided that the only way I could talk to her was through a lawyer, my beautiful Bridget made sure to get Grace into some new musical whenever I brought her to visit.”

“I don’t get it.” Steve admitted with a frown.

“Picture this, okay? Bridget taught Grace how to search the playlists on Youtube, and then explained to her how to use Bluetooth. And they learned the lyrics together, even making cute goofy choreographies that were accompanied by very loud stomping or clapping.”

“Oh.” Steve’s eyes sparkled with understanding.

“So, it was all fun and games until Grace was back at Rachel’s house. Yes, I also had to deal with Annie and Hamilton all day long when I had time with my monkey, but Stan had this amazing sound system at his house, and he also had powerful car speakers. I didn’t, of course. Which was a blessing, for once.”

“That’s pure evil.”

“And that’s only a fraction, babe.” Danny chuckled. “Matty once had the brilliant idea of pulling the classical prank of ordering a dozen pizzas to Rachel’s house. But he kind of upgraded it and made different orders to different pizza places. For the record, he was drunk when he planned it out, and he was convinced he was plotting a pizza war at Rachel’s doorstep. In his drunk imagination, he pictured all the delivery guys fighting for the territory.” Danny smiled, like he often did when thinking of the good times with his brother. It was still hard to talk about Matty, but Steve’s strong presence made it easier to forget the tragedy and focus on the happy memories. “In the end, there was no war, only a bunch of confused pizza guys and a furious Rachel. But the important part is that Grace was thrilled because Matty made sure to order all her favorite toppings, and she got to invite her friends over to get rid of all the pizza.”

“What about Stella?” Steve asked, an amused smile on his lips.

“She told you she works at customer service, has for a very long time. She is not lying, she knows people, people that you don’t want to piss off. Like, you know, the people who are responsible for leaving you on the line for eternity when you need to contact the cable company.”

“I definitely don’t want to get on her bad side.”

“You won’t.” Danny assured him, reaching out and wrapping his hand around Steve’s forearm. “She likes you. They all do.” Danny gave him a short squeeze before dropping his hand. “You charmed them, with your McGarrett tricks. You have deceived them into thinking you are a sane, civilized person. You have hijacked my family, Steven. Now I won’t be able to complain because they will be taking your side.” Danny joked, knowing fully well that he didn’t sound as annoyed as he should.

“Like Ma said, babe. You are family.” Danny turned, catching the exact moment that Steve’s smile changed from amused to pure fondness, the lines around his eyes going soft. “Even before they believed you and I were a thing, you already had a home in Jersey. I told them about how you dragged my ass out of my pity party in HPD and gave me an Ohana, how you care for my kids as if they were your own. They know, Steve. All the things you have done for me and my kids. My family adopted you a long time ago.”

Steve swallowed, his eyes going foggy with emotions. Danny reached again, taking Steve’s hand in his own.

“Thank you.” Steve whispered, and Danny’s own eyes began to sting. He tightened his hold, showing Steve that he was there, that he would never leave, not willingly. Even if something happened to Danny, Steve would always have a family to support and love him, of that Danny made sure. Grace, Charlie, Eric or the rest of his family, Danny wanted to share it with Steve and get through his tick skull that Steve would never be alone anymore. Steve was always going to have someone looking after him, even if it wasn’t Danny himself.

They stayed like that, holding hands and contemplating the city until neither could hide the yawns any longer and went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, they were watching Queer eye.


	4. Beat you to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking this long, life happened. Anyway, hope you enjoy :)

By Friday morning, the rest of the family arrived. The Williams backyard was full of children running around and playing, the kitchen smelled like heaven and there was chatter coming from all corners of the house. It was overwhelming, after such a long time far from home. Danny had grown accustomed to the small reunions they had at Steve’s, and maybe he was getting too old for all the noise and excitement. Steve was no better. He tried to talk to everybody, going from one person to the next like a bee smelling flowers. He looked joyful and relaxed, but Danny could tell he was getting exhausted.

When their eyes met, Steve was silently pleading for a way out. Danny, as the merciful man he was, began to form an escape plan in his head. Danny roamed the house in search of Uncle Vito. He found him in the back porch, drinking a beer.

“Hey, is the gym closed today?” Danny asked, getting the attention of the man who was starting to fall sleep.

“I’m here, ain’t I? Yes, it’s closed.” He grumbled, barely opening one eye to squint at Danny.

“May I borrow the keys?”

“Why do you want the keys, you brat?”

Danny rolled his eyes. Since he was a troublesome kid with a bad attitude, his Uncle Vito had allowed him to make use of his gym after closing hours. Vito had taught him how to channel his anger into something productive. He had been the first one to show Danny that he was capable of more with his strength, he had shown him the magic of dancing in a boxing ring.

“I want to pay a visit to that dumpster. Show Steve around.”

“Hey, hey. Show that dumpster some respect, will ya?” Vito reached inside his pocket and fished the keys out, throwing them at Danny without looking. “The equipment is where it’s always been. Take what you need and don’t break anything.”

The gym was exactly as Danny remembered. It wasn’t a fancy place, but it had all the essentials to be a respectable gym among the locals. Danny inhaled, getting his fill of the nostalgic smell of leather and cleaning detergents. The ring was waiting for them in the center of the gym, the pride and joy of Uncle Vito.

“Why did you bring me here?” Steve looked around with excitement, like a kid in a candy store. Steve had been jittery with anticipation since Danny told him to get ready to head out and to dress for a good sweat.

“To play chess, Steve. Why the hell would I bring you here, you putz? We are here for a friendly match.”

“Oh no, Danny. I don’t want to hurt you.” Steve eyed him with fake concern.

“I want to see you try.” Danny huffed, walking over to the storage room where Uncle Vito had always kept the boxing equipment. He burrowed two sets of clean bandages and gloves; the ones that seemed best to fit them.

He dropped down on one of the chairs and beggar to roll a bandage around his knuckles. It had been a while since the last time he had gone through the ritual that came before a match, but he fell naturally back into it. He felt focused, with his mind ready to jump in the game; this part, was, for him, like meditation. That’s exactly why he gave Steve a murderous glare when the idiot decided to disturb his peace.

“You’re doing it wrong.” Steve, the absolute asshole, dared to criticize his work.

“I did this for years, Steven. I know how to bandage my hands.” Danny didn’t make an effort to censor the annoyance out of his voice.

“Well, in that case, you did it wrong for years.”

“Fuck off, McGarrett.” But Steve was already there, trying to get a hold of Danny’s hands. “No. No. Stay away from me, you animal. What do you think you are doing?”

“I’m trying to help you, Danny. You are going to hurt yourself if you don’t do it right.”

“Is that a line you say a lot?” Danny said before he could think better of it. Steve stopped for only a second, looking amused.

“No, I don’t. Cause I know how to do it right.” He was back to his mission of snatching the bandages from Danny’s grip.

“Why can’t your way and my way both be right, huh? I boxed for years, Steven. Years. And not once did I hurt myself.”

“But you are doing it under the thumb, Danny. It needs to go _over_.” Steve kneeled in front of Danny, between his legs, to force himself into Danny’s field of view and demonstrate his alleged correct method with his own bandage.

“Oh my god. You are an oversized man-child with control issues.” Danny threw his hands in the air, letting go of the bandage and leaving it to hang loose around his wrists. “I know you won’t shut up until you get your way, as always. Do it quick.”

Steve held Danny’s hand with a triumphant smirk. “Is that a line you say a lot?”

“Ha. That’s cute.” Danny answered dryly.

Even if he was still angry, Danny became quickly mesmerized with how Steve rolled the bandage around his hand with practiced movements. Steve was careful not to hurt him, tightening the fabric just enough to protect his bones but not too much as to cut his circulation. Watching him work with such precision, and so close to him that he could smell his shampoo, Danny was reminded once again of his not so innocent fascination with Steve’s hands and what they were capable of doing. Or at least of what Danny fantasized they were capable of doing. Steve’s fingertips ran smoothly over Danny’s pulse point, feeling more like a caress, when he secured the Velcro on the wrist.

“See? That’s how it’s done.” Steve nodded, prompting Danny to give him his other hand and repeating the process with a smoothness that Danny found in equal parts annoying and appealing.

“It does feel nice.” Danny admitted once Steve was done, clenching his hands into fists to test the resistance of the bandage. It felt perfect.

“Told you.” Steve winked, looking all smug and proud about getting Danny’s approval.

“I still think my way is good, Captain smartass.”

“Lieutenant Commander Smartass.” Steve patted Danny’s thigh and stood up.

They left their things on the table next to the ring, with water bottles and towels ready. Once in the ring, they put the gloves on and did the mandatory fist bump before baking off a few steps to get in position.

“Tell me, Steven. How long did it take to heal that one time I punched you square in the face?”

“I have had worse, Danno.”

“I don’t doubt that, babe. But you never expected it from the short _haole_ detective, did you? I’m asking about your pride. How long did it take to heal?” Danny snickered, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Ah, clever.” Steve lunged forward, aiming a fist to Danny’s middle. The advantage of all those years fighting and surviving together, was that Danny knew how to read Steve’s body in a way that was almost scary. Every minimal change in posture told Danny exactly what Steve was planning to do. Without thinking, Danny moved to the side, avoiding Steve’s attack by an inch.

The disadvantage was that Steve could read him just as well, of course. It became almost ridiculous, more like a choreography than an actual fight, circling each other and barely making any contact. Regardless, Danny was having fun, and he could tell that Steve was enjoying himself too. Fifteen minutes later, their competitive sides took over, their attacks were more aggressive, their stance more serious. In the end, Danny managed to connect some hits to Steve’s chest, while he got a few good punches to his torso. Even if Uncle Vito made sure that the gloves had quality padding, Danny was certain that many bruises would bloom. They had agreed to avoid the face at all costs, knowing that Clara would be furious if they arrived at the wedding with nice purple marks that matched the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Panting and dripping wet, they took the gloves off to stretch their fingers. Danny crouched under the ropes to reach for the towels and bottles, handing one of each to Steve.

“I mean, it’s obvious who won.” Steve raised his eyebrows, taking a big swig of his drink without braking eye contact with Danny.

“Me, of course.” Danny smirked, running the towel over his neck.

“You are delusional.” Steve snapped his towel at Danny, chuckling like an idiot when Danny gasped and jumped back like a startled cat.

“Stop it, you jerk. You were that guy at the locker rooms, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m kind of an expert.” Steve threw the empty bottle away, and with both hands free, he coiled the towel to increase the power of his improvised whip.

“Don’t you dare.” Danny warned, holding his water bottle up like a shield.

Steve’s smile was all teeth. The towel snapped once more. Danny angled his body to the side on instinct, but that left his butt exposed to receive the impact. With a curse, Danny reflexively opened his hand, dropping the water bottle. After that, it was like everything happened in slow motion. He stepped on the puddle of water that was sprouting out of the fallen bottle, and suddenly, his feet were no longer touching the ground. He desperately reached out for something to hold onto, but his hands only found Steve, who tumbled under Danny’s weight. That’s how they ended on the floor, with Danny conveniently on top of his partner. Danny almost laughed, thinking of all those cheese movies that he watched with Grace and that he not so secretly enjoyed.

“Did you forget how legs work?” Steve pulled his arms in front of him and made a show of trying to push Danny away, but Danny could tell he wasn’t putting much strength in it.

“What are you talking about, huh? This is your damn fault, Steven! You and your stupid towel games.” Danny batted Steve’s hands away and pressed more of his weight down, just to mess with Steve.

“You are heavy! And sweaty. Move. Move.”

“I have nowhere to go. Maybe I’ll take a nap.”

“Move, damn it.”

“Fuck no, you move.”

“How am I supposed to do that, Daniel?”

“I don’t care.”

It was absolutely ridiculous that the leader of the infamous Five-0 task force and his partner, a Navy SEAL and a detective, were acting in the most childish way possible. If any criminal were to look at them now, their reputation would go straight to the dumpster. But there were no criminals around, and honestly, they couldn’t care less about how childish they were being. They were comfortable with each other, and they knew that being silly didn’t make them any less badass cops.

Steve squirmed under him, moving his body against Danny like a snake. Danny’s blood was already wildly pumping as an aftereffect of the boxing match, and Steve’s exotic dancer moves weren’t helping things. Danny became conscious of the real danger of their situation in the same moment that he became hyperaware of the heat that Steve was radiating. And their positions. That was when his lizard brain finally decided to come online and fuck things up with his hardening erection.

Steve gasped and held still. Danny closed his eyes, bracing for the worst.

“What is that, Danny?” Steve’s voice was raw and low, hitting Danny like a train to the gut.

“I- Fuck. It’s nothing you should worry about.” Danny tried to push away from Steve, but he found himself held down by strong arms around his waist.

“I wouldn’t call _this_ being worried.” Steve purred, his eyes dark and hungry. With their bodies pressed like that, Danny could feel that he wasn’t the only one affected. He shuddered, and he knew that Steve felt it by the way he smiled. Steve looked messed and feral, his body vibrating with the adrenaline of the workout and arousal.

“You are not?” Danny whispered, instinctively leaning closer to Steve. He could feel Steve’s breath against his lips, but it was not enough. More. He wanted more.

“Jesus Christ, Daniel! This place is not for that kind of workout.” Vito slammed his hand against the table, startling them on purpose. “I should have known better. It’s the second and last time you use my gym as your love nest, you hear me?”

Danny squirmed out of Steve’s hold and jumped to his feet, not bothering to offer a hand for Steve. A hand to get up, that is.

“Sorry, Uncle.” Danny gave him a sheepish smile. Vito didn’t even look angry, he just seemed surprised to find that his very adult nephew still acted like a teenager. A very horny teenager.

“Don’t sorry uncle me. Get out of here before you go full animal planet.” Vito power walked to his office, mumbling comments about respect and manners until the door closed behind him.

With Vito out of earshot, Danny heard Steve groan behind him. Danny didn’t even notice that Steve was still on the floor, hiding his face behind his hands. Danny could see the delightful flush on his neck and ears, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It wasn’t funny.” Steve grumbled.

“It kind of was.” Danny’s voice broke with laughter, and after a beat Steve’s shoulders began to shake, his own laughter filtering through his hands to join Danny’s.

“Why are you still here!” Came a shout from Vito’s office. Still laughing, like a pair of kids who got caught doing mischief, they gathered their stuff as fast as possible and ran out the gym.

The air inside the car was filled with electricity, making Danny’s skin tingle with anticipation, waiting for the lightning to strike and ignite him inside out. It was powerful and exiting in all kinds of ways, to now know how Steve’s body felt against his own. And the fact that Steve was still smiling, a smile that was the lightning itself, made things even better.

“So-” Steve cleared his throat, glancing at Danny with curiosity.

“What?”

“He said it was the second time.”

“I knew you wouldn’t let that one go.” Danny sighed, getting his still sweaty hair out of his face.

“So that’s what you do. You drag innocent people to the empty gym to seduce them.”

“First of all, I don’t need any empty gym to seduce nobody, okay? I can manage on my own, unlike you and your Child's play move. Seriously, have you ever watched the movie?” Danny countered. “And it’s not my fault if I become irresistible when I’m in the ring.”

“Excuse me? I bet you would fall to my _Child’s play move_ any day, buddy.”

“Absolutely no. Wrong. Incorrect. You, sir, are mistaken.” Danny said in an exaggerated tone, stabbing Steve’s bicep with one finger to emphasize every word.

“You are squinting, Danny. You squint when you lie.”

“Why would I lie about falling for your cheap Smooth Dog tricks?”

“Because you know you would be putty in my hands, that’s why.”

“Is that so? Let me remind you that you were the one who was putty in my hands back at the gym.”

“I remember a different story.”

“Ah, of course you do.” Danny rolled his eyes with fond exasperation.

“Yep.” Steve popped the p at the end with a petulant lopsided smile. “You _accidentally_ falling over me? Come on. Now that is a cheap trick.”

“It was an accident, mind you. But you were the one with the hands all over me and not letting go.”

“Then why did you look like you were going to eat me alive?” Steve teased.

“Because I was.” Danny said without any hint of hesitation. Yes, it was fun to banter and argue about who was the real seducer here, but Danny was growing a little anxious. He was worried that, if they kept joking, then the moment would eventually get lost. Danny was not naïve; he was aware that this game of theirs was a way of keeping everything under control. It was a knee-jerk reaction to hide and protect themselves, swipe anything that could involve feelings under the carpet. So, this time Danny was going to take that tiny step and admit to Steve’s accusation, just to prove that what had happened _was_ important, and that it had been real.

Steve looked startled, clearly not expecting the honest answer. He cleared his throat, his smile going from arrogant to fond and maybe even relieved. Relieved that Danny had taken that step for both of them.

“Good.” Steve nodded, resting his hand on Danny’s knee. It didn’t seem like much, but it meant everything to Danny. In their own weird way, the one that only they could understand, this was how they acknowledged what had happened, what they both had felt. It was an agreement and a promise, a promise that Danny would be keeping close to his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it cliché? Yes. Do I care? No.  
> Also, can you tell I have a thing for Danny boxing?


	5. Flowing

Saturday morning found Steve and Danny getting ready for the awaited wedding. Once again, Danny was glad that they had stayed at the hotel rather than his parents’ house, where most likely everyone was running and rushing around. Danny was more than familiar with that chaos, and even if he loved his family dearly, he was happy to take his own time to prepare without Bridget knocking like a maniac on the bathroom door.

He combed his hair back, making sure that everything was where it belonged. Danny almost stabbed his eye when he saw Steve’s reflection in the mirror. No matter how many times he saw it, the sight of Steve in a tux always made his stomach knot with want. To make things worse – or better –, Danny couldn’t think of anything beyond Steve’s cologne, the one he rarely used but now was filling the room like a seducing breeze.

“Looking good, babe.” Danny smiled when Steve’s eyes met him in the mirror.

“Not so bad yourself, buddy.” Steve grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around to get a better view of his face.

“We’ll knock’em cold.” Danny smirked, straightening Steve’s already perfect bowtie.

“The newly weeds will be jealous.” Steve gave Danny a squeeze before heading for the door.

The wedding was held at a greenhouse. At first, Danny found the idea ridiculous. Why would anyone have a wedding at a greenhouse? It was supposed to be a celebration, not a class on how to pot a mandrake. But his snarky comments drifted away once he stepped inside. It was something out of a book, with the flowers and all those different tones of greens. Not for the first time, Danny wished that Grace could be there to see it. He planned on taking a lot of pictures to show her, but not without warning her first that he wasn’t encouraging the idea of any wedding any time soon, thank you.

The greenhouse made him feel nostalgic in a way that he wasn’t expecting. A part of him had worried that the wedding would wake that bitter place in his heart that was had taken residency inside him after the divorce. Surprisingly, the nostalgia he was feeling had little to do with Rachel and much to do with the man beside him. The greenhouse reminded him of Hawaii, of Steve’s lanai and the peace that he knew he could only find there. Yes, the flowers of the greenhouse were gorgeous; but there was an arrogant voice inside his head – that sounded suspiciously like Steve – telling him that the flowers back home were ten times more beautiful.

Danny snapped out of his thoughts when Steve’s hand curled around his own. They looked at each other with smiles that were pure honey, walking side by side to their designated table. It was no surprise that they were at the same table as Stella, Eric, Clara, and Eddie; all looking happy to have the two men with them. When Danny looked around, he found Bridget at the table reserved for the bridesmaids. Bridget looked in his direction, maybe sensing that someone was staring at her, and she winked at Danny when their eyes met. Danny blew her a kiss, mouthing a “You look stunning” that she answered with an exaggerated curtsy with her dress that made Danny laugh.

Little by little, everyone began to scatter around, looking to meet new people or to catch up with old acquaintances. With a brief squeeze to Danny’s shoulder, Steve informed Danny that he was going to check out the side table where they had little cactuses that you could adopt as souvenirs. “I’ll pick one for Grace and Charlie.” And yes, Danny’s soul melted with that. 

Danny tried to mingle as well, but his mind was calling out for Steve. Steve, the man who was taking too damn long choosing what cactuses to take. Knowing him, Danny imagined that Steve would find the cactuses unworthy of Danny’s kids and then proceed to climb the walls to snatch one of the pots that were adorning the ceiling. No, they couldn’t have any of that. Danny followed his Steve radar and headed to the side table, but he stopped just a few steps from reaching his destination.

Had he fallen asleep and stepped into a nightmare? Because what he was seeing was his very fake boyfriend merrily chatting with his very real ex-boyfriend. He stood there, like a statue, until he felt someone hug him from behind. With a surprised gasped, he crooked his neck to see who his attacker was. Bridget planted a big noisy kiss on his cheek.

“Why the long face, Danny?” She asked, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“I think I finally lost my mind. I’m hallucinating.” Danny returned his attention to the cactus table, and Bridget followed his eyes.

“Oh.” She winced in sympathy.

“Yeah. Oh.”

“You didn’t know?” When all Danny gave her was a constipated look, she had mercy and explained. “Alex and Sarah became good friends after your breakup. He even helped with her business, giving her advice with the marketing. So, it’s only logical that she invited him to her wedding. Sorry, bro.”

“How didn’t I hear of this until now?”

“Well, after Alex your few brain cells had Rachel’s name. And then everything got fucked, and you moved to Hawaii.”

“Thanks a lot.” Danny pinched her arm playfully.

“No, but seriously. That smells dangerous.” Bridget pointed at Steve and Alex, who were too engrossed in their conversation to even notice the pair of blondes staring at them as if they were animals in the zoo. “What if there’s a league of exes that Steve has to defeat to be with you? Oh, Rachel would be the scariest one, no doubt.”

“Back off.” Danny groaned, untangling himself from his sister’s hold to go and assess the situation.

“Danny!” Alex smiled at him when Danny was close enough to be noticed.

The situation wasn’t one that Danny particularly enjoyed, but even that didn’t stop him from beaming at Alex. They hadn’t been together for long, but Danny had cared for him deeply, and they had parted on good terms after Danny decided to join the academy.

“Hey, man. Long time not seeing you.”

“Shit. Danny, what happened to you? You are built like a bull now.” Alex dragged him into a hug, looking Danny up and down with innocent curiosity when they pulled away.

“I need to be in shape to at least pretend that I can keep up with this animal.” Danny pointed a thump at Steve, who only now Danny noticed had one cactus in each hand. “Are you planning on carrying those around for the rest of the night, Steven?”

Steve rolled his eyes and left the cactuses on the table with a flourish. He made sure to keep them apart from the bunch, a declaration that those had been carefully selected and Steve didn’t want to lose them.

“Maybe you would keep up with me if you ate less malasadas, Danny.”

“Oh my, so you are _that_ Steve. Danny’s Steve.” Alex chuckled. It wasn’t Danny’s fault if he thought that Danny’s Steve sounded incredibly nice.

“Steve McGarrett.” Steve nodded, holding his hand out.

“Alex Wright.” Alex shook his hand, his smile still in place.

“Are you telling me you have been talking, all this time, without even asking for each other’s names?” Danny sighed, considering the possibility that he was naturally attracted to idiots.

“Ah, you still rant like an old man. Good to know.”

“You mean he’s always been like this?” Steve asked with fake surprise.

“Yep.” Alex nodded. “But he’s your problem, not mine. Thank god.”

“Fuck you, Alexis.”

“No thanks. You are not my type anymore.”

“Oh my god.” Danny squeaked.

“Were you…” Steve frowned, trying to connect the dots.

“We dated once.” Alex explained with a shrug. “Now I have better taste.” He teased with a smile.

“Your mother said I’m a catch!”

“She got eye surgery last year. Turns out she was kind of blind.”

“You little shit.” Danny couldn’t help but smile. “Turns out I have better taste too.”

“Oh, I can see that.” Alex gave Steve an appreciative glance.

“Why, thank you, Daniel. I’m flattered.” Steve raised his eyebrows, clearly pleased with the compliment, even if it had been at the expense of Danny’s ex.

“You’re welcome, babe.” Danny swayed on his feet and hid his hands in his pockets, feeling a boyish satisfaction from watching Steve smile.

“So, who made the first move?” Alex wondered, giving Danny a suspicious look, like he already knew the answer. Danny rolled his eyes. Yes, he had been dense and only noticed that Alex liked him after he gave him a dirty kiss in the middle of watching a game at his house. Danny had been all kinds of surprised and shocked. In a good way, really. An hour later, with both satisfied and with their pants around their knees, Alex had listed to him all the hints and signs he had been dropping at his feet for weeks, all of which Danny had failed to read. Of course, it seemed like Alex still remembered. 

“I did, actually.” Steve announced with pride. “I was the one who asked him on a date.”

“Excuse me? You did?” Danny squinted at his partner.

“What the hell, Danny. I took you on that hiking trip to see the petroglyphs.”

“You never said that was a date, you schmuck!” Turned out, Alex was right. Danny was still kind of dense, and by the look of triumph in Alex’s face, he knew it. All evidence so far showed that, even if he was a hell of a good detective, he was oblivious when it came to his love life. Maybe his mother had a reason to worry all those years, after all.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Was I supposed to give you a card with all my intentions written down for you?”

“Yes, that would have been nice.” Danny’s voice was dripping sarcasm.

“Sure, Danny. When did you want it? Before or after finding the body?” Steve countered, hands on his hips.

“Wait, wait. What?” Alex interrupted the banter, eyes wide with surprise. “You found a body?”

“Yes, that tends to happen around Steve. Either that or pirates. Or bombs. There’s always something.”

“Your dates must be really interesting then.” Alex chuckled. “Bet you never get bored together.”

“Let’s say I know how to keep the spark alive.” Steve wiggled his fingers in the air like a magician after a show.

“Babe, as long as you keep us alive, I’m happy.”

After some more joking around, the three of them headed back to the tables. Midway there, Steve palmed his forehead with a curse and turned around on his heels. “The cactuses.” He explained over his shoulder.

Danny shook his head in a silent apology to Alex, both stopping to look at Steve’s retreating figure.

“He seems nice.” Alex looked at Danny, studying the blond for a second. “And you look happy. I’m glad you are happy, Danny.”

“I am.” Danny’s eyes followed Steve on instinct, watching him walk through the guests like he owned the place.

“Oh god, you are in so deep, dude. I can almost see the hearts in your eyes.” Alex teased him, not without affection.

“Shut up.” Danny rubbed his forehead, hoping that the hotness he was feeling all over his face wasn’t that noticeable. 

They kept walking toward Danny’s table, now empty and with cups of water waiting in front of each seat. Alex and Danny waited a little longer for Steve to join them and continue the conversation, but when the music began to sound and the people mingling around began to gather at the dance floor, Alex shrugged, patted Danny’s shoulder, and made him promise that they would meet for beers before making his way to a handsome man who was calling him over. Danny watched them go and wrap their arms around each other the moment their feet touched the dance floor. The smiles of the lovers were bright and full of love, the kind of smiles that people had when the world around them disappeared and all that mattered was the person in front of them. Danny chuckled to himself. Alex had been right, again, being with Steve was making him see floating hearts and singing birds everywhere.

He got lost watching the guests follow the music, bodies swaying close, hands around waists, eyes locked with dreamy expressions that made Danny sigh. It was like a fairytale, with everyone looking happy and surrounded by plants. Danny grimaced, wondering if he could give himself a cavity if he kept those thoughts going. Then he spotted him, walking towards him with a smile that could melt an iceberg and didn’t fail to make Danny’s legs feel like jelly.

Danny couldn’t help but stare. How could he not? Steve was a walking dream, and not only because he looked jaw-droppingly stunning, even while holding the damn cactuses. Not only because the light that filtered through the domes hit him just right, accentuating how the tux stretched in the right places. Not only because he marched towards Danny with the confidence of a feline. No. He was a walking dream because of the way his eyes focused on Danny like he was the most precious thing in the entire universe.

Danny kept staring, even while Steve stood in front of him and proudly placed the selected and rescued cactuses in front of Danny.

“One lady tried to take’em, but I managed to keep them safe.” Steve informed him with a cheeky grin. When Danny didn’t react, Steve frowned, giving Danny an inquiring look. “What?”

Danny cleared his throat and tried to adjust his collar, knowing perfectly well that his skin wasn’t feeling hot because of the weather. “Have you ever watched _Shall we dance?_ That one movie with Richard Gere where, spoiler alert, he dances.”

“I had no choice but watch it, Danny. It was one of Mary’s favorites. Why?”

“You remember that corny scene when Richard Gere does this great entrance with the rose in his hand?”

“Yes, I do.” Steve arched an eyebrow, clearly intrigued with the sudden topic. “That scene was one of the reasons why Mary liked it.” 

“I liked it as well. I kind of had a crush on Richard Gere for a long, long time after watching that movie. That scene always made my heart jump.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.” Danny swallowed, running a finger over the rim of his cup. “Well, you kind of reminded me of that scene. You know, looking annoyingly handsome with the tux and all.”

“Did I make your heart jump, Danny?” Steve leaned closer to whisper in Danny’s ear.

“You know you did, you asshole.” Danny grumbled, Steve’s warm breath giving him goosebumps. “You always do.”

“Shall we dance, Danny?” Steve smirked, taking a step back and holding a hand out for Danny.

“Oh, you petulant bastard.” Danny said without any bite, smiling like a goof and accepting Steve’s hand. “Where’s my rose?”

“Are the cactuses not enough? Don’t I get any points for originality? Cactuses live longer.” Steve placed his hand on Danny’s back to carefully guide him to the dance floor. “Besides, I had no idea of your Richard Gere thing.”

“It’s not _a thing_ , okay? And the cactuses are for the kids, so it doesn’t count.”

“Next time I promise I’ll bring you a bouquet of cactuses, just for you. How’s that?”

“No, thank you. I’ll stick to the roses.”

Steve smiled at him and snaked his arm around Danny’s waist, pressing their bodies so close that Danny had to crane his neck back to look at Steve. And oh god, now the sinful cologne was stronger than ever. Danny suppressed a shudder, wondering if he would end up smelling like Steve. Marked. 

“So? Is it better than with Richard Gere?”

“Well, I know it sounds hard to believe, but I never actually got to dance with Richard. So, I can’t tell.”

“Oh, you know how to make me feel special.”

Danny chuckled, resting his cheek on Steve’s shoulder. “But I’m happy to be dancing with _you_ and not Richard Gere, you doofus.”

“I’m happy too.”

Danny felt save with Steve’s arms around him. The Last time he had danced with Steve, at Kono’s wedding, he had felt like a leaf flying with the wind; weightless and with no idea of his destination. Steve’s hands had felt uncertain, wary. Now, Steve’s touches were firm, they grounded him. It was like if all his life he had walked with unsteady steps, not even aware of it, and now Steve was teaching him how to stand on his own feet. How to be whole.

“Hey.” Danny’s voice was a whisper.

“Hey.” Steve answered, nose pressed on Danny’s temple.

“What were you and Alex talking about before I arrived?” Danny asked, closing his eyes, enjoying how Steve swayed them on the dance floor, reminding Danny of the sea. Steve always said that the water relaxed him. Steve was Danny’s water.

Steve hummed. “Nothing much. We talked about the reception, the newlyweds. He could tell I wasn’t from here, so he recommended a few bars to spend the time. You know, just friendly chatter”

“That’s nice.”

“Why? Did it bother you?”

“I was just a bit worried, babe. He’s got a few embarrassing stories about me under his sleeve.” Danny chuckled. “What if he scared you, huh?” 

Steve gave Danny a feathery kiss behind his ear. “There’s nothing that can scare me away from you, Danno.”

Danny put some distance between them, just enough to look directly at Steve without having to break the contact of their bodies. Danny had always prided himself in how well he could read Steve’s face, translating every little gesture into emotions and words that the SEAL normally didn’t voice. Now was no different; the softness in Steve’s features and the clarity of his hazel eyes told Danny everything he needed to know. Getting the message, Danny snaked a hand up to Steve’s neck, pulling him down into a perfect tender kiss. Their lips pressed against each other like a sweet caress, barely moving, following the same slow and sloppy rhythm of their dancing. There was heat and hunger tingling between them, but that was background noise. This first kiss wasn’t about lust or sex, it was about love and connection. It was about, finally, finding their way home and flowing together.

When the kiss ended, both breathed out with relief. Their eyes meet, a bubble surrounding them and excluding them from everything else. Danny opened his mouth, planning to say something poetic and heartfelt, but the only sound that came out of him was a faint. “Wow.”

Steve chuckled, stroking Danny’s jaw with his fingertips. “Yes, buddy. Wow.”

They had no intention of coming back from each other’s eyes, but the moment was broken when the next song began to play.

“Oh. You have to be fucking kidding me right now.” Danny broke laughing, burying his face into Steve’s chest to try and control the outburst. Problem was, Steve wasn’t any better, his whole body shaking. “Why? Why does it have to be _Sexy eyes_?”

“There’s no other choice now, Danny. It has to be our song.”

“I hate you so much.” Danny was still cackling, holding tight to Steve.

“I love you too.” Steve answered, and Danny could feel the smile against his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shot every time you read the word "cactuses". I'm sorry, but I love cactuses.


	6. Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexy time is here!

In a silent agreement, they decided to leave the wedding at an early hour. They drank almost nothing, and Danny couldn’t help but wonder if that had been a silent agreement as well. After all, Danny wanted to be awake and sober to enjoy what was coming next.

In the room, neither talked. They undressed in peaceful silence, their eyes roaming each other’s bodies, enjoying every new patch of skin that became visible. Danny got the shower ready, adjusting the temperature for them. Once inside, they washed away the sweat of the day, the bathroom not big enough for them not to be almost chest to chest, aware of their erections. Still, neither dared to touch. Yet.

The anticipation was a sweet torture, both burning to touch and taste. Looking Steve straight in the eyes, Danny grabbed the soap and poured a good amount on his hand, reaching down, down between his cheeks. Steve followed his movements with his hungry eyes, a deep growl escaping from his lips when Danny began to thoughtfully clean himself, not losing eye contact.

“You are killing me.” Steve rasped out, the first words since leaving the wedding.

“So, tell me, what do you like?” Danny licked his lips, cock twitching under Steve’s laser focus.

“You.” Steve said, seriously.

Danny laughed, taking his hand away from his hole, deeming it clean enough. “Sap. I mean, in bed.”

Steve finally stopped staring at Danny’s dick and looked up. “I prefer to top, if that’s what you mean.”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean.” Danny stood under the spray, getting rid of the soap that lingered on his body before turning the shower off. “You didn’t disappoint with your answer. Come on, babe.”

Steve grabbed Danny’s hand, guiding him out of the shower. The patience and sensual restraint that had reined in the shower was long forgotten. They dried as fast as they could, tossing the towels on the floor before pushing and pulling each other to the bedroom.

In a blink, Danny was lying on the bed, his breathing already fast and desperate, Steve looming over him like a predator. The kiss was the complete opposite of the one they had shared at the dance floor, this one was full of heat and pure animalistic want. Steve’s tongue was tasting every inch of Danny’s mouth, conquering and claiming, making it impossible to imagine the possibility of being kissed by any other person that wasn’t Steve for the rest of his life.

Steve leaned over the edge of the bed and reached for his duffle bag, roaming inside and looking for something. After a few seconds, Steve returned to his place on top of Danny with a triumphant smile, a bottle of lube and a condom in his hand. Danny quirked an eyebrow.

“Bold of you to assume we would be using those during the trip.”

“Bold of you to assume you could resist me.” Steve chuckled, pushing Danny’s legs apart to make space for himself between them.

“Fair enough.” Danny shifted to get more comfortable, bending his knees and spreading his legs even further, fully on display for Steve.

Steve swallowed and opened the cap, pouring a generous amount of lube on his hand. Steve showered Danny’s thigh with kisses, making his way up, reaching the space where leg and pelvis meet. Steve hooked one thumb on Danny’s cheek to have better access to his goal. Danny began to stroke himself slowly when Steve’s fingertip started massaging his hole. Steve looked up, a question in his eyes that Danny answered with a jerky nod. Somewhere on the back of his mind, Danny was aware that he had to say something important to Steve, but at the moment nothing seemed as important as Steve’s finger sinking into him.

Danny hissed with the intrusion of Steve’s wet finger. It was larger than his own, and it took him a few seconds to get a hold of his breath and feel past the uncomfortable sensation. Steve didn’t hesitate to demonstrate his skills to Danny, avoiding the show of pumping in and out and going straight to finding his prostate and rubbing circles over the gland, the pressure of his finger just perfect. Unconsciously, Danny began to jerk himself faster, the stimulation on both sides making his toes curl.

“Steve.” Danny moaned, reaching out to wrap his fingers around Steve’s wrist.

“Yea.” Steve kept going, a second finger pressing close to his entrance.

It felt good, it felt hell of good, but… Danny remembered what he had wanted to say.

“Steven!” Danny tightened his hold on Steve’s wrist, stilling his movement.

“What?” Steve snapped his eyes up to meet Danny’s with a concerned look.

“Listen. I want to, okay?”

“But.” Steve sat back, slipping his finger out of Danny. Part of Danny mourned the loss, but he couldn't be distracted from saying what he needed to say before they continued.

“But the last time I did this,” Danny waved at the space between them “I was much younger. My point is, it has been a while since the last time I had anything more than a finger in my ass, babe.”

Steve frowned, looking down at Danny’s lubed hole in the same way he did when examining a crime scene. Danny wasn’t sure if he should find it sexy or disturbing.

“That’s why I’m prepping you, Danny.” Steve said matter-of-factly.

“And you can prep me all you want, but there is no way you are getting more than two fingers in there without breaking me. Not tonight.”

“I have done this before. I’m no amateur.”

“I can tell you are not. But I will need time to readjust my body to the fact that a dick is going where a dick hasn’t entered in a long time.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means I’ll buy myself a plug or something. Stretch myself in the shower, those kinds of things. Little by little until I feel comfortable enough to take you the way I want. Hard.”

Thanks to the way their legs were touching, Danny could feel it perfectly well when Steve shivered, his eyes going even darker. It was a sight to behold. Danny wanted to take a picture, frame it, keep it forever.

“Then why did you wash your asshole like that if we are not doing _that_?” Steve growled, his hands going up and down Danny’s calves with slow caresses.

“Because I wanted you to finger me! Maybe even eat me out, if you felt like it. I don’t know! I wanted to be clean.”

Steve made a sound from the back of his throat. In seconds, Steve added more lube to his hand and went back to work, returning his finger where it belonged. Danny cursed when Steve’s other hand covered the one stroking his cock and pulled it away, replacing it with a wet mouth. Steve's finger pressed against his prostate with determination, rubbing small circles as he had been doing before the interruption. With his tongue, he tasted Danny from base to head, lingering at the crown and sucking a kiss on it before moving his attention to the leaking slit.

Danny gasped, holding on to Steve's short strands of brown hair. Steve took a moment to taste and smear the precum with his tongue, looking up at Danny with the certainty of a man that knew exactly the effect he was having. When Danny couldn't resist any longer and his hips jerked up in needy desperation, Steve took Danny's whimpers as his sign to go and engulf Danny's aching cock around his lips. Steve hollowed his cheeks and sucked with devotion, pulling a sound out of Danny that sounded wrecked to his own ears.

“Shit. Your mouth. Oh god. More, please. Steve. Steve. More.” Danny was half aware that his legs were trembling, his body overwhelmed with pleasure. Every pore on his skin screamed Steve's name.

Steve hummed and Danny’s eyes rolled back. Steve's finger never faltered, his rhythm steady and perfect inside him, even when Steve's mouth took more of him, tongue pressed against the underside of his cock. Without hesitation, Steve began to bob his head up and down, a string of saliva running down his chin. Steve looked beautiful and so damn hot like that, taking as much of Danny as he could, moaning around his length because he was a fast learner and didn't fail to notice that the trick made Danny’s hips thrust up with a life of their own.

“Close. So close.” Danny warned, just in case Steve wasn't comfortable with swallowing him.

Judging by the way Steve was spurred on by Danny's raspy words, he didn't mind. Danny felt the familiar warmth spreading in his guts, his body tensing up as the delicious waves of pleasure made his mind go blank. His cock pulsed, shooting his release inside Steve's willing throat.

“Fuck. Fuck. You are so goo, babe. So good.” Danny mumbled, running his fingers over Steve's sweaty hair. He jumped when Steve pulled out, not without gifting Danny's tip with a final flicker of his tongue, just to watch Danny squirm with oversensitivity.

Steve took his finger out, a wide smug smile adorning his handsome face. Steve sat back to better admire the big mess he had made of Danny, proud of the results of his hard work. There was no need to be a detective to notice that Steve was hard and wet.

Danny allowed himself a moment to just look, admiring the body of the man that he had desired for so long. God, just to know that Steve wanted him this much was putting his recovery time to a test. But no matter how much he wanted, he wasn't a teenager. Still, there were other ways to make Steve see stars.

With a smirk, Danny rolled to his side, twisting a hand behind him to pat the space on the bed for Steve to settle in place. Steve obeyed with a groan, snuggling close, hips touching. Danny had always been a big fan of spooning, not caring much if he was or not the little spoon. In this particular case, with Steve's erection rubbing against his cheeks and said man licking and biting his neck and shoulder, he definitely was happy to be the little spoon.

“Use my thighs, babe.” Danny instructed with a soft purr.

“You sure? It'll be sticky.” Steve warned even if he was already blindly looking for the discarded bottle of lube.

“Yea, do it.”

Steve kissed his throat some more, and Danny heard the cap of the bottle being opened. Steve hissed right next to his ear, the sloppy sounds of skin and slick cluing Danny of what Steve was doing. Danny pressed his legs together to give Steve something to work with. With a moan that sounded suspiciously close to a sob, Steve's lubed dick breached the space that Danny's thighs offered.

“Fuck.” Steve rested his forehead on Danny’s nape, inhaling sharply when the tip of his cock pushed against Danny's spent balls.

“Feel good?” Danny asked, twisting his torso to look at Steve over his shoulder. Danny almost chocked, not expecting for Steve to look already utterly fucked.

Steve didn't answer, at least not with words. He braced himself on his elbow, lifting his body enough to kiss Danny's breath away. With his other hand possessively placed on Danny's hip, he began to thrust forward. Danny tasted himself in Steve's mouth, sucking at the tongue and not getting enough of the fabulous grunts that got swallowed into the kiss.

When Steve's speed built up, Danny broke the kiss. The blond reached back, digging his fingers on Steve's ass to push him to go even harder. He could feel the slick dripping down his legs, ass and balls, staining the sheets and adding to the moist atmosphere of sex that covered the room. Even if he knew that it would hurt in the morning, Danny remained with his torso turned toward Steve, wanting to watch those dangerous hazel eyes lose control for Danny.

“Just imagine what it will feel with you inside me, Steve. You will fuck me so good, so hard. Making sure that I never forget how your cock fits oh so deliciously in me. It was made for me, to fuck me, pound me until I cry. I will clench around you while I come, wanting more of you even after you milk me dry. God, I want to feel what it's like when you come in my ass. Filling me, claiming me. That's it, Steve. Come for me. Give me what is mine, babe.”

Steve’s thrusts stuttered, going more erratic with every filthy word that came out of Danny's mouth. Steve cursed and bit down hard on Danny’s shoulder, his body going stiff, coating Danny’s balls with cum.

“Fuck Danny, where did you learn to say things like that? Damn it.” Steve panted, the puffs of air ruffling Danny's hair. Steve used his hand on Danny's hip to manhandle him until the blond was lying on his back. Steve mover his hand lower once he had Danny where he wanted him, running his fingers over the mess that lube, sweat and spunk had formed on Danny's drying skin.

“You are no longer allowed to complain about how much I talk.” Danny chuckled.

“Whatever you say, Danny.” Steve rolled his eyes. He kissed Danny on the cheek before making the decision for both of them that it was time to move.

Danny walked to the bathroom with an annoyed frown. Sex was good and all, but he had always hated the cleaning part of the whole business. He took one of the discarded towels from the floor and tried to clean himself as good as he could without taking another shower.

Not even caring about putting on some clothes, he walked back into the room, finding Steve shamelessly sprawled on the bed that had been Danny’s. Danny took a look at the bed that had been Steve’s for the past couple of nights, wincing at the tangle of sheets, the victims of their orgasms.

Danny patted Steve’s ass, bitching about Steve being a giant animal that didn’t think twice before stealing Danny’s bed. Steve mumbled something in a sleepy voice, face scrunched in irritation when he had to scoot over to make space for Danny. Danny settled next to Steve with a pleased sigh, snuggling closer to his lover. Steve had enough brain power to lift his arm and surround Danny in a warm embrace.

Danny closed his eyes, letting Steve’s soft snores lull him to sleep. Just as unconsciousness was taking over him, it occurred to him that they had not pretended anything. They were _them_ all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this far!   
> For now, this story is finished. I might consider adding a chapter of Danny getting that plug, tho.


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